endowed with learning, this ought not to be a long or difficult work; but since now by God's will the time is suitable, make up by increased exertion for the past neglect." The letter itself states that it was written after Laurence and Peter had arrived in Rome, who were sent by Augustine to acquaint Gregory "that the nation of the English had received the faith of Christ, and that he himself was made their bishop." The only way of explaining the matter seems to be that the letter to Bertha was sent back at once by Laurence and Peter in 597 A.D., not by Laurence and Mellitus in 601 A.D.; and that the announcement that "the nation of the English had received the faith of Christ" did not include the King, but, on the contrary, purposely omitted his name; and that the letter to Bertha has been assigned to the later date in error. Returning to the letter, Gregory goes on to urge the Queen: "Therefore, by constant persuasion strengthen the mind of your glorious husband in the love of the Christian faith, let your solicitude for him infuse increase of love to God, and so kindle his mind and the minds of those subject to him with the fullest conversion, that both he may offer a great sacrifice to Almighty God through the earnestness of your devotion, and that those things which are told of you may grow and be every way approved. For your good deeds have come to be known not only to us Romans, but to many places, and even to Constantinople and to the most serene Prince (viz. the Eastern Emperor); so that not only Christians rejoice, but there is joy among the angels in heaven." He concludes by commending the aforementioned, his very reverend brother and fellow-bishop

and the servants of God," whom we have sent with him for the conversion of your nation," and hopes that she may reign happily with her glorious husband, and after many years receive the joys of the future life which knows no end.

CHAPTER X

GREGORY'S INSTRUCTIONS

GREGORY also sent back by Laurence and Peter a long letter to Augustine, in reply to questions which the quondam prior had submitted to his quondam abbot. It is not the only evidence that, so long as he lived, Gregory took an active interest in the affairs of the English mission, and that Augustine dutifully received the counsels and reproofs of his old master. Gregory's replies embody Augustine's questions; it will suffice to make some extracts from the Letters.

"1. Concerning bishops, how are they to behave themselves towards their clergy? Into how many portions are the things given by the faithful to the altar to be divided? and how is the bishop to act in the church?"

Gregory answers :—

"Holy Scripture, and especially St. Paul's Epistle to Timothy, answers the question. But it is the custom of the Apostolic See to prescribe this rule to all bishops, newly ordained, that all the stipend which accrues should be divided into four portions-one for the bishop and his family, for hospitality and maintenance, another to the clergy, a third to the poor, and the fourth for the repair of churches. But since your Fraternity was brought up under monastic

rules, it does not become you to live apart from your clergy in the Church of the English, which, by God's help, has lately been brought to the faith; you are to follow that course of life which our fathers did in the infant Church, when none of them said that anything which he possessed was his own, but all things were in common to them."

[In Letters of Gregory there is inserted here another question: "I desire to know whether clerics who cannot be continent may marry, and if they marry, whether they ought to return to the world." To which there is the same answer which we find in Bede]:

"If there are any clerics, not in holy orders, who cannot live continent, they should take wives and receive their stipends outside (the community), because we know it is written in the authorities above mentioned, that distribution was made to every man according to his need. Their stipends are therefore to be cared for and provided, and they are to be kept under ecclesiastical rules, that they may live orderly and attend to singing of Psalms, and, by the help of God, keep their hearts and tongues and bodies from all unlawful things. But for those living in common, why need we say anything about assigning portions, or maintaining hospitality, or fulfilling works of mercy, since everything beyond your needs is to be expended in pious and religious works, and since our Lord and Master says as to all which remains, 'Give alms of such things as ye have, and behold all things are clean to you' (Luke xi. 41)'?"

Augustine's second question:-" 2. Since the faith is one, why are the customs of the Churches different

one use of the mass exists in the Roman Church, and another is observed in the Churches of Gaul?"

Answer of the blessed Pope Gregory :

"Your Fraternity knows the use of the Roman Church, in which you remember you were brought up; but it seems good to me that if you have found anything in the Roman or Gallican, or any other Church, which may be more acceptable to Almighty God, you should carefully select it, and introduce into the Church of the English, which is still new in the faith, whatsoever you can gather from the several Churches. For things are not to be loved for the sake of places, but places for the sake of things. From them choose things which are pious, religious, and right, and, having collected them into one packet (fasciculum), place them in the minds of the English as their use.

Augustine's third question:-" 3. I pray you to inform me what he ought to suffer who shall take a thing from the Church by theft."

Answer of the blessed Pope Gregory :

"It depends upon the person who has committed the theft; for some steal who are not in need, and some steal through want. Therefore some must be punished by fine, and some by stripes, some with greater severity, and some more mildly. And when greater severity is used, it is to proceed from charity, not from anger, for this is done to him who is corrected, lest he be delivered up to hell. . . . You may add that they ought to restore those things which they have stolen from the Church, but far be it from the Church to receive profit from those things which she seemed to lose, and seek gain out of her losses."